BARRIE, ONT. -- The local health unit confirms eight new cases of COVID-19 on Friday.
"All are at home self-isolating. None of them are in hospital," says Dr. Charles Gardner, Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit's medical officer of health.
The region's total confirmed case count is 468, with 96 per cent of all those who have tested positive residing in Simcoe County.
Still, the top doc says the region is continuing to see a decrease in the number of cases.
"Compared with 40 cases the week before this week, 44 cases the week before that and 74 cases the week before that... so definitely a downward trend," says Dr. Gardner.
Eight people remain hospitalized with the virus, while 36 people have lost their lives after becoming infected.
Meanwhile, Dr. Gardner says 80 per cent of the total cases have recovered.
"I think that's cause for celebration for ourselves. Certainly, we grieve those who remain very ill, and we certainly grieve for those that we've lost."
The health unit confirms all outbreaks at long-term care and retirement homes in the region have ended.
Province-wide, Ontario reported 344 new cases on Friday, with 41 more deaths.
In total, 27,210 people have tested positive in the province, and of those, 2,230 have died.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says that increased data coming from a new COVID-19 testing strategy unveiled today has prompted him to consider a regional approach to reopening.
